Old Flame
by SparklingTears
Summary: I'm Ivy Herrings, Death Eater. My mission is to test Severus Snape's loyalty to the Dark Lord, and how else am I going to do that then to resemble Lily Evans? Did you know, old flames burn you just the same?
1. Undercover

I sat at the side of the in the darkened dungeon-like classroom, beside one firmly-shut window. Toying with the edge of my collar, I stared at the man who is my target. He stood tall and stiff at the front, beside a long white screen, his black robes falling around him in heavy drapes. Biting my lower lip in anticipation, I smirked a little when I imagined his bland hostility fracture upon seeing me for the first time.

"Pansy Parkinson, Marcus Flint, Gregory Goyle, Ivy Herrings…"

The professor's low mutters trailed off for a moment in the roll call and his dark eyes lingered on me. I looked straight back confidently, determined to appear as comfortable as any of the others.

"I'm new, professor." I volunteered.

I watched out of my peripheral vision as a few heads turned the same instance he paled. A half-smile toyed at my lips.

Yes, he noticed.

I tucked a lock of auburn hair behind one ear deliberately and watched coyly as his expression froze over.

First step in my mission: Success.

_"Ivy Herrings" The dark lord had hissed, and I knelt before him in awe. It was such an honor to have the dark lord address me personally, and every cell in my body was tingling in delight and adulation. _

_The dark lord procured an old white framed photograph from his robes and handed it to me, his pale slim fingers holding onto the very edge of the crinkled, dog-eared paper._

_I received it with both hands. Tremblingly, I looked at it and understood instantly. _

_The woman in the photograph was older than me, but she had the same shade of reddish-brown hair that fell softly on her shoulders that I had tied in a tight French bun. She also had green eyes that resembled mine. With some work, I could make myself look like her. _

_"Who is she, my lord?" I asked in anticipation. _

_"Lily Evans" His slit green glittered dangerously. "Potter's mother… and same year as Severus Snape." _

_Realization dawned on me. _

_If I resembled who Snape used to have a soft spot for, then his misguided trust in me would allow me to test his loyalty for the dark lord. After all, his dubious behaviour recently had made the dark lord suspicious. Of course Snape had reported that his not killling the boy despite the many perfect chances he had was because he was waiting for the ultimate opportunity to capture him alive for the dark lord, but the dark lord was no fool._

_"You will enroll in hogwarts as a transfer student."The dark lord hissed._

_"Yes, my lord."I answered confidently, "What about that pest Potter?" _

_"You will not touch him."The dark lord hissed furiously, "Accomplish what I tell you to."_

_I felt a tremble of fear at the dark lord's sudden anger and my tattoo burned. _

_"Yes. Yes, my lord." I said quickly, bowing my head low._

As I stare into Snape's eyes now, I can almost catch a glimpse of my own reflection in his dark iris. Soft, shoulder length red-brown hair, a side fringe skillfully swept to the side to accentuate my hazel green eyes, sitting comfortably in the school uniform that was neither too tight nor too loose, _just the way Lily Evans used to wear it_.

I smiled shyly at him, mimicking the way Lily Evans smiled in the photograph.

Professor Snape's lips thinned and his face was the color of the screen behind him. A few students murmured as they turned to look at me. Turning my head, I caught Malfoy smirking slyly at me. I smiled harmlessly back at him. He wasn't aware of my identity. None of them were, even the Dark Lord's usual favorites.

Snape seemed to resume his composure after I broke off eye contact. "Yes Herrings. Blaise Zabini? Vincent Crabbe, Adrain Pucey..."

He continued the roll call like nothing was wrong, but I saw his discomfort, and shock, for that one moment.

And you can bet I was going to make use of that.

**Hi guys, good or bad? Leave me a comment!**

**Btw I edited it a little:)**


	2. Potions Class

"...and then you add a boungus root..."

The professor continued in his low muttering voice, his cadence monotonous as he snapped each word like a command separate from the rest.

It's my first potions lesson, and already I'm beginning to see why so many students disliked Snape's lesson. Windows shut tightly in a dark dungeon and listening to him muttering on and on certainly makes for a dull hour. I peeked at the students beside me, all busy scribbling into their notebooks. Seriously, what's the big deal? Did everyone have to act like those were words of gold tumbling from his lips? I rolled my eyes and glanced to the right row of tables. Ah... Harry Potter. I see him. That pesky little thing with his head of messy black hair. That slender neck looked far too easy to snap. And to his left sat his redhead friend, that Weasley. And that girl, what was that mudblood's name again? Something Grange-

"And _why, Miss Herrings, are you not taking this down_?"

I snapped my attention back to the professor, who was glaring directly at me now. _Shit._ I watched out of my peripheral vision as a few heads turned out of interest. Why wasn't I copying? Because I simply don't have to bother about this useless crap. Because my real mission is to trap him. Trap him and make him admit his infidelity toward the Dark Lord. Can't tell him that though.

I faked an apologetic smile at Snape. "I'm sorry, Professor." I picked up my pen and lowered my gaze, simultaneously tucking a lock of auburn hair behind my left ear in a way I hoped looked nervous. "I won't do it again."

Snape paused for a moment. Then he said, "You will not", his words singularly spat out, low with hostility. "Now, a boungus root must be added before the caldron is hot..."

I held a worried breath. I almost thought my resemblence to Lily Evans had made him had induced loathing in him until I heard a Ravenclaw girl whisper, surprised, "Did you see that? Snape didn't give that new girl detention, she's getting special treatment like Malfoy." The blonde girl who sat beside her whispered back, "She's a slytherin. Snape's always been biased."

I smirked, confidence restored. Biased? They don't know how much.

For the rest of the lesson, I scribbled random nonsense into my notebook until the bell rung. By then, I'd managed to fill three full pages up with what I'd like to do to Potter and how pathetic he'd seem when I finally capture him to see the Dark Lord.

As the other students packed their files up and trailed out of the room in groups, I fussed with my bag till I saw the last one of them leave their seat. In another two minutes, I was the only student left in the dungeon like classroom with Snape.

_Time to really introduce myself._

I slid out of my seat and walked up to his desk at the front slowly, keeping my eyes apprehensively on his bent head as he sifted through some book. I minced my steps involuntarily when he didn't show any sign of being aware of my presence. He kept his head lowered, his black ahir falling about his face, casting long shadows across his prominent features, his pale skin.

When I was just one step away, his head suddenly jerked up and his piercing stare almost made me jump.

"What is the matter, miss Herrings?" he snapped in a low threatening voice.

I gulped involuntarily. Thinking of the dark lord, i sought courage and met his glare as calmly as I could. "Professor... I've been having some trouble with understanding some parts of the lesson today, because in my old school, our lessons weren'tso advanced." I took a deep breath, keeping my voice even, "I was wondering if you could tutor me outside class."

Snape's left eyebrow rose, almost cynically.

"Could you please help me?" I followed hurriedly, before he started to suspect anything, "I really love potions."

I flashed him a radiant smile, making sure i remembered to touch my hair with my free hand.

Snape stared at me for a moment. Then he said, "This afternoon 6. Meet me in my office."

_Yes. _"Thank you, professor." I smiled again, then turned and walked out of the classroom. _Lily Evans loved Potions too_, didn't she. I smiled victoriously to myself.


End file.
